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Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

by | Jun 30, 2016 | Decorating Inspiration, Guest Rooms, My Guest Room, My Seattle House

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Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

This small bedroom makeover was completed in partnership with Ashley HomeStore

Welcome to our small bedroom makeover! I’m so excited to finally show you (for the first time!) this small bedroom on our main floor. And even better, you’ll get to see both the before and after makeover photos today!

While I originally thought this little bedroom would work best for an office, after I tried it out for a few months (fortunately before decorating it) I realized that it was just a pinch too small and cramped to be inviting and comfortable for my work. I’ll share more on the new office in a future post.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

As we were starting to move the office furniture downstairs, Ashley HomeStore contacted me about doing a fun room makeover project. I was asked to create a before and after of a newly furnished space! That sounded like a splendid idea to me (I’ve been craving a finished room in this house). Since this room was going to be empty, it was the obvious choice for this project. I was thrilled to have the nudge to make this unoccupied space into a comfortable guest room, which we really needed.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

Although I had seen Ashley HomeStore around town I had never stopped in. I’m so glad I was introduced to their furniture because they have some really great pieces. I’m excited to have been able to incorporate several really neat things from Ashley HomeStore in my small bedroom makeover.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

Before I tell you about the updates, this is the before photo of this room. Even though it is a tiny room as you can see, it had three things going for it: nice baseboard moldings, hardwood floors and a bright cheery window.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The challenge with this room is obviously that it is SMALL! I knew I wanted a queen sized bed for guests, but worried that it wouldn’t fit. But after carefully measuring and selecting the right pieces, I was able to fit both a queen bed and small nightstands.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The upholstered dark gray bed with nailhead trim is really nice and makes a great statement. I especially liked that it had a fully cushioned frame but not a tall footboard because with such a tiny room it would have felt too cramped. This bed was just right.

My parents have already stayed with us in the new guest room and I’m happy to say they LOVED it. The bed was really comfortable (we got the mattress from Ashley HomeStore, too). The quilts are SO soft and luxurious! We layered a couple of bedding sets together. Not only does it look great to have a mix of bedding, but it’s nice to offer guests options.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The adorable little glass and gold nesting tables are so airy. I was pleased to find ones that were appropriately scaled for either side of the bed. The cute apothecary lamps sat comfortably on the tables to offer guests plenty of light to read at night.

Because it’s such a little room the main things I really wanted in the room were mirrors to reflect light and allow guests to get ready for the day in their room. We selected two mirrors I LOVE.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

full length mirror adds a textural weathered element to the room. I love it! It’s so nice to be able to see your full outfit.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

This gold mirror is one of my favorite pieces now! The antiqued finish is so pretty and the arched top adds a little curve to the space.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The throw pillow are gorgeous, I was super impressed with the quality and style.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

We also adore this green wall clock. Since most people travel with cell phones we didn’t think we needed to offer a traditional alarm clock but this one is both handy and cute on the wall.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The gold tray is really amazing and another of my favorite elements. It’s super heavy and looks really cool in the room. We thought it was a fun idea to have it on the bed when a guest arrives. It’s perfect for a little bouquet and a gift of a souvenir Seattle coffee mug for their morning coffee.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

This is the before photo of the closet area. Since this is such a tiny room we wanted to freshen up the closet area. We decided to leave it open without doors or curtains so the nook would feel more like a part of the room.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After
Now it’s a nice little spot for guests to set their suitcase and hang some clothes.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

This sweet little cabinet tucked in perfectly to the nook. It is so sturdy and offers room for extra blankets and for guests to stash a few things if they are staying awhile.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

The throw blankets are really fun to toss on the bedding as a finishing touch. I like the tassel trim! The jute rug is a nice cozy addition to the space, too. It adds a little more warmth and really helps to quiet the room.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

Before and After Small Bedroom Makeover

So now that you’ve seen the room and all the beautiful items in it, here’s a final look at the before and after. Ahhh, I LOVE IT! I’m so excited to have a fun new space that feels complete but that I can still change up for my guests all year round.

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

I also discovered that it is the perfect escape for ME during all the craziness around our house. We have been in huge project completion mode in several other rooms in our house so I prop myself up on this bed at least once a day to relax and just enjoy a finished space.

Thanks for stopping by for my small bedroom makeover, I’ll have lots more updates from our house coming up soon so stay tuned.

See more updates to this bedroom here!

Small Bedroom Makeover: Before & After

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78 Comments

  1. Cathy

    What a lovely transformation! It’s great that you were able to fit a queen bed in there with room to get around on both sides! That, the mirror, a spot for the suitcase, and a little hanging space are all that guests really need. I think it’s good to leave a guest closet open, so they know that they are welcome to use it. Beautiful post!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thank you, yes, I agree that having the closet open felt more inviting. I’m so glad you like the room, thank you so much for your comment!

  2. Laura

    I love your small bedroom makeover! We have a small home as well, so this is very pertinent to my situation. Would love to know the room dimensions?!

  3. Denise Jarman

    I also love the room especially as my bedroom is about the same size. I was wondering what colour you painted the walls. My room has a blue/grey carpet and I thought your wall colour might help my room look more elegant. :)

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Denise, sure! The paint color is Glidden Swan White. I love it because it’s a really fresh white but it has a very very subtle hint of gray.

  4. Canadian fan

    beautifully serene. do you mind divulging source/name of drapery fabric?

    thank you.

  5. Angelle

    Love what you did in this guest room. The open closet is a great idea. The curtains are fabulous! Please share the source.

  6. Stacey

    This looks great, Melissa! I love the way you used the closet space. That was really smart.

  7. Becky

    Beautifully done. I especially like the curtains. Where did you purchase them?

  8. Susan

    The closet redo is so functional AND cute. The floor length drapes make a big difference too.

  9. Ardith

    Love this room, Melissa. You have such a way with subtle color and pattern combinations, lovely yet comfortable spaces. I can imagine what wonders you would do as a B&B decor consultant. Cheers, Ardith

  10. Deb

    Looks great! Was there a change made to the overhead light, or was it removed? A little chandelier would be cute.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I’ll share the light in a future post, our shipment was delayed so it didn’t make it into this post! :) Thanks!

  11. Marie

    Looks great! Can you please tell me if the curtains are from Ashley as well? Thanks

  12. Carmen Gomez (Lilly)

    So excited to see a room makeover of yours! This guest bedroom is so lovely and inviting! I love the small nightstands and the bedding is just asking to be snuggled in. I’m excited to see your new office space in the future!

  13. Pat

    I love the room and what you did with it. However, for someone to copy your design would require quite a lot of $$$ that many of us do not have. You were fortunate that Ashley was providing you with the means to make it so pretty and functional. I do love seeing what you are doing with your new and smaller home – keep up the good work. We small home people need some new ideas.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      There are always ways to incorporate style and the same design principles on any budget and even by using things you already have! I wrote some books about how to do that :).

  14. Dawn

    I love the warmth and multiple textures of this room – nicely done!

  15. Mary Burchette

    What a lovely room, Melissa ~ it looks so cozy and welcoming! Your guests may never want to leave! ;)

  16. Michelle

    This is adorable and cozy and completely inviting. I was always taught growing up not to mix metals but I love this! I’m thinking back and chuckling a little to myself that our favorite color combos in the 60s were blue/green and orange/pink and watching my mother’s reactions to them having grown up being told never to mix those colors. That didn’t stop us and thank goodness!

  17. Sandy

    Love the room❤️ Do you have the name of the curtains from Target??
    Thank you!!

  18. sandyc

    You are so smart as always, Melissa, choosing to “think” and “use” and “think” again before you “do” a room. That room would have been too stifling for your office where you spend a lot of time and often need to spread out (doesn’t look much wider than 8′, maybe 8’x10′) but completely charming as a guest bedroom and totally achievable on a modest budget (if you choose to be inspired by rather than copy exactly). The open closet is brilliant – really does look as if meant to be a nook and something you’d find in a boutique hotel. Now if you really wanted to reflect the light, you could add a mirror on the back wall above the shelf to complete the vignette or, if too much, a neat piece of art (move the hangers to the left above the plant when no guests). Thanks for sharing with us and so looking forward to more.

  19. Barbara (WA)

    Such a smart and beautiful design – you are truly talented!

  20. Amy

    I love how the room “feels blue” even thought it only has a few accent pieces in it that are that color. You can easily switch out the colors.

  21. annette

    Another winner,Melissa! Thanks for allowing us to see the beautiful transformation. I love your posts,as I think I am the original”looky-lou”.xo

  22. Hillary

    Absolutely lovely! I love how thoughtful and deliberate you are about how to best use the space for it’s intended purpose. Just perfect for a guest space.

    PS: So enjoying coming home from work these days and relaxing with my Inspired Room coloring book! So fun!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thank you so much, Hillary! And I’m thrilled that you enjoy the coloring book! :)

  23. Deb

    Love the color scheme! This tiny room is beautiful.

  24. Beth

    beautiful, could you please share the sources for the bedding

  25. Rachel

    Oh I love it! I found it so refreshing to see a finished before and after myself! I am so lost in projects and plans for our house I loved seeing this space. It’s beautiful and perfectly furnished.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thanks, Rachel. It sure makes a difference when you can call something “finished enough” even if you will always be working on it and changing things down the road! It makes me so happy to see this room, I know you can relate! :)

  26. Deanna Rabe

    What a lovely and restful room!

  27. Adrienne

    I love your makeover! It’s very “Melissa”; Blue, Gray, White, and a pop of unexpected. :) A quick question for you, I love the bed, are you using a box spring in your guest room? It’s a nice looking frame but i’m concerned that if I put a box spring and a mattress it will be too tall and won’t look right.

    Thanks!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Adrienne,

      Thank you! Yes, it has a box spring and a mattress and they both fit perfectly! :)

  28. Donnie

    Beautiful and so very welcoming. did the larger mirror come from Ashley, as well? Think I may need to check them out soon, just what I’ve been looking for. Is it a platform bed? the closet idea is genius!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Yes, both the big mirrors are from Ashley. Everything was super nice quality, I was really happy with everything. The bed uses a box spring and the mattress! Thanks so much!

  29. Aubrey

    I love it! It is so refreshing to see an *actual* small space design! So often the “small room” posts are bigger than my master bedroom! It turned out beautifully – nice job.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ha yes I know! I’ve seen some “small rooms” that were giant comparatively speaking. My master is small, too, and by comparison this room probably would be better described as a very tiny room! :-D

  30. Tammy fuller

    What an inviting space!

  31. Rebecca Turner

    Very nice! I love the headboard and the gold tray! Etc. Etc. I wonder if you’ve thought of adding wallpaper to the closet? …or artwork, or a trio of small mirrors? Also a luggage rack? In my guest room I have space for a portable table, and if I don’t put it out, suitcases inevitably end up on the bed, which I don’t like. I have white bedding. Not the most practical choice, but I love it! I also provide an iron and ironing board because if I don’t, I get asked for it. Another thing that I’ve been asked for is an extension cord and an electrical bar for additional plugs. With so many electronics people need a charging station. We took the TV out of the guest room to avoid having it left on all night. (People fall asleep with it on.) So far so good. I enjoyed your post!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Great ideas, I’m sure we will continue to refine and improve the space! Thank you!

  32. Eve

    What an inviting and balanced space! I love how your style is so warm and cozy but also elegant and clean. I was wondering about the gold mirror–I couldn’t find a link to it in the post, and I searched on the website for it, but I couldn’t find it. Sorry to be a pain!! Thanks again for sharing your talents, brilliance and sweet spirit with us! :)

  33. Jo Jo

    Wow, you thought of everything and made great use of your small space! I love it! We have a very tiny guest bedroom as well and bought a queen size bed from Ashley’s and it has two large deep drawers built into the footboard ( which is low). Perfect because there is no room for a dresser. We do have a nice sized closet in this room tho. Love your transformation, Melissa! You really thought it all thru and created a very beautiful, practical space for your guests!

  34. Debbie

    Just lovely!! Perfect for a guest room – I can see how it would have been a bit small for your office. I look forward to seeing what else you get accomplished!

  35. Michelle Mortensen

    I cannot tell you what a great inspiration this room was!!! All of the rooms in my Santa Barbara cottage are small and decorating them is a definite challenge for me. My son will be leaving for college soon and his room will be a guest room. It is small and a bit dark, but your makeover shows me that I can make it light, bright, and comfortable for guests and for my son when he comes home to visit (which is, hopefully, often).
    Best & Bisous,
    Michelle from Simply Santa Barbara

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Wonderful! It can be hard to find inspiration for truly SMALL rooms like this, so I’m so glad this tiny room inspired you.

  36. Jenna

    Wow, this is gorgeous, you’ve done such a great job at making the room look so lovely and inviting, and providing everything your guests might need, whilst not making the room feel cramped or cluttered. I wish I had your talent for interior design!

  37. Lauren B

    So pretty! All three of our bedrooms are very small (one about this size, two slightly wider, but about as long) and the scale can be so hard! I love how beautiful yours looks. We added curtains in lieu of the heavy/dated mirrored doors (I like mirrors on my wall, but not staring at me while I sleep!) and it adds such a softness to the room. I love your nook- definitely okay and practical for guests.

  38. Elizabeth Jaring

    What is the wall paint color you used? That was the best change to the room :)

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      So sorry for the *super* late response, but the paint color is Swan White by Glidden!

  39. Ashley V

    This is really lovely. Do you happen to know the dimensions of the room? I’m moving to a new house soon and one of the bedrooms is so tiny! I’m wondering if it’s similar in size and I could accomplish this with a queen sized bed.

  40. melissa atkinson

    Can you provide details for the curtains? Is there a link for purchase?

  41. Jude Newman

    I like the colors in this room.

  42. Donna Whisnant

    Love this room. What exactly is the measurements of the room, not including the closet. I have a tiny room like this but never considered making it a guest bedroom, but now I do. Thank you for sharing.

  43. Loralee

    Wow! You have a gift.

  44. Lisa

    This looks great. Nice and cozy. I love that you added mirrors to give add depth to the room.

  45. Donna Kudzman

    Hello! LOVE that pillow, any chance you can share the find?

    Donna
    :)

  46. Wendy

    What a beautiful transformation and lovely to see a finished room. I love everything about it, the colours and textures are perfect. Looking forward to seeing more projects.

  47. Charity

    Hello! I love this space! How small is this room exactly? I’m trying to figure out what size bed I can get away with in our guest room. This room may be a tad bigger than mine. Thanks so much for sharing.

  48. Gloria

    What are the dimensions of the guest room? Really great makeover!

  49. Mary

    I am so happy I found your blog! We are currently building out first home, a town home, and on our most recent walk through I discovered our two additional bedrooms are a lot smaller than I had expected. My first thought was how am I going to make this a spare bedroom?? Our room looks just like yours and I am thrilled I will be able to make this work and have it be a comfortable place for our parents when they come to visit. Do you have any thoughts on where to maybe add a TV somehow? Mostly for when my mom visits. She likes to have her little get away when needed. =) Your home is beautiful and I am getting so many ideas for our new home. Thank you!

    ~Mary

  50. Carol H

    Are your curtains new – if so where did you get them? I love them!

  51. Jacqueline Cronin

    This was well thought out and so adorable. Love the nook idea; very clever.

  52. Luz Torres

    Hi sweetie I love it, do you know the measurements of the room excluding the closet?

 

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